Clark: April 18, 1806

April 18th 1806. Early this morning I was awakened by an Indian from the neighborhood of our horses. He had arrived here yesterday, and this morning he found a small bag of powder and ball that had been left when we displayed our goods yesterday, and he brought it to me. I had a fire made and laid out the articles, having increased the items offered for each horse, and I sent out two men to find the horses we bought yesterday. After collecting them, I sent Shabono (Charbonneau) and Frazer with the four I had purchased down to Capt Lewis (Capt. Lewis), and was tantalized with the expectation of purchasing more immediately. Great numbers of Indians came from the falls and from both above and below. None of them appeared anxious to part with their horses, but told me that several were coming from the plains around 1 or 2 P.M., and they laid aside two parcels of merchandise and told me they had sent for their horses.

Among the other tribes were the Skad-datts, who challenged the Skillutes to play with them at a peculiar kind of game, which was soon arranged. Nine on each side sat down. They spent some time making up their bets of beads, brass thimbles or tubes, robes, and so on. When the bets were all made, the nine on each side took opposite positions, facing each other at a distance of about 12 feet. In front of each party was placed a long pole, which they struck with a stick while singing. They used two small pieces of bone of this form and size. A bone was given to two men of the same party who switched it from hand to hand with great dexterity, one hand above the other, looking down. When he was ready for the opposing party to guess, he separated his hands, swinging them around his chest, and looked at the opposing party, who waved their hand toward the side the bone was on. If the opposite party guessed the hand of each man, the bone was given to them. If they guessed neither, nothing happened. If they guessed one—they could choose which—they received that bone but lost on the other. As they failed in guessing, they also lost a stick if they failed to guess both. The game is played to different totals, and each party has 5 sticks. Several of those games were played today, in which the Skillutes won. Indeed, they won all the beads and some robes from the Skad-datts, which they _____.

One other game which they also played _____ by 2 men with 4 sticks—2 black and 2 white—under a kind of hat made of bark. As this is a very intricate game, I cannot describe it. The one who holds the sticks places them in different positions, and the opposite party guesses the position of the black sticks by a motion of either one or both of the hands. Each man has 4 sticks. This, as also the other, is accompanied with a kind of song. This hat is about 12 inches in diameter and the sticks about 5 inches long.

At 3 P.M. Sergt Ordway (Sgt. Ordway) arrived with 3 men from Capt Lewis with elk skins and a few articles such as a coat and robes. I had 3 dogs purchased. Soon after, Capt. Lewis came up with J. Fields. He had ascended the river with much difficulty to the basin 2 miles below. I left Drewyer, Warner, Shannon, and Goodrich with the articles and went down with Capt Lewis to the basin. We cut up 2 of our canoes for firewood. No more horses. Many nations resort here for trade.

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Friday 18th April 1806. Early this morning I was awakened by an Indian man of the Chopunnish Nation who informed me that he lived in the neighborhood of our horses. This man delivered to me a bag of powder and ball which he had picked up this morning at the place where the goods had been displayed yesterday. I had a fire made of some poles purchased from the natives at a short distance from the houses, and the articles displayed as yesterday. I collected the 4 horses purchased yesterday and sent Frazier and Shabono (Charbonneau) with them to the basin, where I expected they would meet Cap L-s (Capt. Lewis) and begin the portage of the baggage on those horses.

About 10 A.M. the Indians came down from the Eneesher villages, and I expected they would take the articles which they had set aside yesterday. But to my astonishment, not one would make the exchange today. Two other parcels of goods were set aside, and the horses promised at 2 P.M. I paid little attention to this bargain, but allowed the bundles to lie there. I dressed the sores of the principal Chief, gave some small things to his children, and promised the Chief some medicine to cure his sores. His wife, whom I found to be a sulky woman, was somewhat afflicted with pains in her back. I thought this a good opportunity to get her on my side by giving her something for her back. I rubbed a little camphor on her temples and back, and applied warm flannel to her back, which she thought had nearly restored her to her former feelings. I thought this a favorable time to trade with the Chief, who had more horses than all the rest of the nation. I accordingly made him an offer, which he accepted, and he sold me two horses.

Great numbers of Indians from different directions visited me at this place today. None of them appeared willing to part with their horses, but told me that several were coming from the plains this evening. Among other nations who visit this place for the purpose of trade are the Skad-datts. These people challenged the Skillutes to play at a peculiar kind of game. In the course of the day the Skillutes won all their beads, skins, arrows, etc. This game was made up of 9 men on a side. They sat down opposite each other at a distance of about 10 feet. In front of each party a long pole was placed, on which they struck with a small stick to the time of their songs. After the bets were made up—which took nearly half an hour after they sat down—two round bones were produced, about the size of a man's little finger or something smaller, and 2 1/4 inches in length. They held them in their hands, changing them from one hand to the other with great dexterity. Two men on the same side performed this part, and when they had the bone in the hand they wished, they looked at their adversaries, swinging their arms around their shoulders for their adversary to guess, which they did by the motion of the hand either to the right or left. If the opposite party guessed the hand of both of the men who had the bone, the bones were given to them. If neither, the bones were retained and nothing counted. If they guessed one and not the other, one bone was given up, and the party possessing the other bone counted one—and one for every time the adversary missed guessing, until they guessed the hand the bone was in. In this game each party has 5 sticks, and one side wins all the sticks once, twice, or thrice, as the game may be set.

I observed another game which these people also play, played by 2 persons with 4 sticks about the size of a man's finger and about 7 inches in length. Two of those sticks are black and the other 2 white and somewhat larger than the black ones. These sticks they place in different positions, which they perform under a kind of trencher made of bark, round, and about 14 inches in diameter. This is a very intricate game, and I cannot understand it well enough to describe it. The man in possession of the sticks places them in different positions, and the opposite party tells the position of the black sticks by a motion of either or both of his hands, etc. This game is scored in the same way as the one mentioned before. All their games are accompanied with songs and timekeeping.

At 3 P.M. Sergt. Ordway (Sgt. Ordway) and three men arrived from Cap Lewis (Capt. Lewis). They brought with them several elk skins, two of my coats, and 4 robes from the party, to add to the stores I had with me for the purchase of horses. Sgt. O. informed me that Cap L. (Capt. Lewis) had arrived with all the canoes into the basin 2 miles below and wanted some dogs to eat. I had 3 dogs purchased and sent down. At 5 P.M. Capt. Lewis came up. He informed me that he had brought the river to the basin with much difficulty and danger, having made one portage.

As I had not slept but very little for the two nights past on account of the mice and vermin with which those Indian houses abounded, and having no blanket with me, and the means of keeping a fire sufficient to keep me warm being too expensive, I determined to proceed with Capt L. down to camp at the basin. I left the articles of merchandise with Drewyer, Werner, Shannon, and Goodrich until morning. At the basin we cut up two of our canoes for firewood, very much to the chagrin of the natives, although they would give us nothing for them.

In my absence several Indians visited Capt. Lewis at his camp. Among others was the great Chief of the Chilluckkitquaw, who remained with him until he left Rock Fort Camp. Capt L. had 12 pack saddles completed and strings prepared from the elk skins for lashing the loads. He also kept out all the hunters, who killed just enough deer for the party with him to subsist on. The Chief who had visited Capt Lewis promised him that he would bring some horses to the basin and trade with him, but he was not as good as his word. Capt Lewis gave a large kettle for a horse which was offered to him at the basin this evening.